From where comes the saying: "By the seat of his pants"?

alaspooryoric

This is early aviation parlance. Aircraft initially had few navigation aids and flying was accomplished by means of the pilot's judgment. The term emerged in the 1930s and was first widely used in reports of Douglas Corrigan's flight from the USA to Ireland in 1938. http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/139400.html The phrase comes from back in the day when airplanes - being very basic without all the fancy gadgetry planes have today - were flown by pilots who reacted to the feel of the plane. Naturally, the part of the body that had the most contact with the plane was the aviator's backside. http://idiomation.wordpress.com/2011/05/10/fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants/ Jun 03 11, 9:04 PM